Stefon Diggs Wears Out Welcome In Buffalo; Trade Makes Texans Look Like They're 'All In'

The Buffalo Bills trade of Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans is about more than a stunning trade of a Pro Bowl wide receiver to a new team. 

What we're seeing, in real time in one offseason, is the rise of a new power in the NFL and the fallback of a team everyone believed to be a Super Bowl contender not long ago.

Meet the Texans, the next AFC juggernaut.

And bid farewell to the Bills, who have not just taken one step, but multiple steps back this offseason. 

Stefon Diggs of the Buffalo Bills during a game between the New York Jets and the Buffalo Bills at MetLife Stadium on September 11, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)

Diggs Loss Will Hurt Bills

The headline for all this on Wednesday came when the Bills traded Diggs to the Texans. Buffalo sent Diggs, a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick to Houston in exchange for a 2025 second-round pick.

ESPN was first to report the trade. It is contingent on Diggs reporting and passing a physical.

The Texans are getting one of the NFL's most productive receivers and two picks this year. The Bills are losing their top receiver of the last four years, giving up picks this year, and taking on $31 million dead cap hit for the privilege of not having more talent on the roster.

So from 30,000 feet, this seems like the Texans are making moves to get better now, while the Bills are making moves to go in the opposite direction.

And on closer inspection, the picture only gets clearer: The Texans are getting better while the Bills are getting weaker.

It's undeniable.

Josh Allen is the most beloved sports figure in Buffalo in a long, long time. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Tough To Move On From Diggs

Diggs was the Bills leading receiver the four years he was on the team. He had over 100 catches every season, over 1,100 receiving yards every season, and double digit touchdowns two of the four seasons.

Diggs and quarterback Josh Allen were one of the NFL's most dangerous battery mates after the Vikings sent Diggs to Buffalo in 2020.

But something went wrong last year. There were wide swaths of some games during which Diggs hardly seemed to be in the game plan. That caused problems. There were times, like during a Kansas City victory in which he played only 37 percent of the snaps, during which he seemed unhappy or at least disinterested.

Diggs, it seemed, hit that moment in his career arc when he simply wears out his welcome. It happened in Minnesota after five productive seasons. It happened in Buffalo after four and the Bills simply lost patience with the situation.

That's tough because the situation resulted in a dip in production from the receiver. 

But do you know what a dip in production looks like for Stefon Diggs? He caught 107 passes for 1,183 yards.

So the Bills made a tough decision on Wednesday. And while they would say their chemistry and locker room will be better as a result, the truth is this is not the Bills getting better. At least not in the short term.

Unless they have a corresponding move to trade for Cincinnati's Tee Higgins or Minnesota's Justin Jefferson – both very unlikely, if not impossible moves – this trade is going to result in a tangible loss for the Bills.

Gabe Davis #13 of the Buffalo Bills looks on during warm ups prior to the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium on December 23, 2023 in Inglewood, California.

(Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Bills Leak Talent This Offseason

And that fits what the club has seemingly been doing the entire offseason: Losing talent.

They lost Gabe Davis in free agency to the Jaguars. So Buffalo has lost two starting receivers this offseason.

They released center Mitch Morse, a Pro Bowl player last season and an anchor on their offensive line. It took Morse five minutes to find a new home with the Jaguars.

They released former Pro Bowl safety Jordan Poyer, who is now penciled in as a starter and leader on the Dolphins.

They released cornerback Tre'Davious White, a former Pro Bowl player. The White move made more sense than the others because he's had two serious injuries in recent years, but the Rams scooped him up rather quickly, seeing him as a net plus.

The Buffalo's moves have reverberated around the league, particularly in the AFC East, which they've won four consecutive seasons.

"Nice!," a Dolphins source texted OutKick in reaction to the Diggs trade. He also added hand clap emojis.

Houston went and got C.J. Stroud more offensive weapons. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Texans Make ‘All In’ Moves

And everyone understands the Bills are revamping their roster and salary cap while trying to stay competitive. But it doesn't change the fact the moves are in eye-popping contrast to what the Texans are doing.

This offseason, the Texans traded for running back Joe Mixon to improve their running game and make third downs easier for quarterback C.J. Stroud. They lost 12.5-sack edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Vikings, but added 16.5 sack edge rusher Danielle Hunter from the Vikings. 

Diggs joins what now becomes perhaps the best wide receiver room in the NFL. The Texans, you'll recall, already had proven playmakers in Nico Collins and Tank Dell. Houston also retained tight end Dalton Schultz.

All of this firepower is now at the disposal of Stroud, who was the NFL offensive rookie of the year in 2023.

The Texans play in a state where the more established Cowboys promised to go "all in" for 2024 but have disappointed.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what going all in actually looks like.